Welcome to Day 2 of this 11-day Holland America Eurodam eastern Caribbean cruise! Today marks the first of two relaxing sea days before we reach the shores of St. Maarten on Tuesday.
The sun is shining, the weather is perfect, and the ocean views are truly amazing from my spot on the Promenade Deck as I kick back on a lounger and just watch the world go by.
While there are still wooden steamer chairs available on the Promenade, it seems Holland America is slowly replacing them with standard metal loungers. I’m a bit sad to see this happen, as the steamers add that bit of nostalgia and elegance which is expected on board a HAL ship.
I see fellow passengers enjoying their morning walks, logging miles with scenic laps around the deck. (BTW – 3 laps around = 1 mile) While yesterday was a bit on the quiet side, with fewer activities and crowds, I’m curious to see if the atmosphere picks up a bit today!
Eurodam Main Dining Room Breakfast Menu
Here’s what’s being served for breakfast in the main dining room this morning.
Lido Market Breakfast Menu
Up on the Lido, breakfast is being served buffet style in the Lido Market. One of the great things about the buffet on Holland America is that 95% of it is not “serve yourself.” Crew members serve you the majority of the food and actually make some, like eggs, fresh to order while you wait. While at times this can increase wait times in line, it’s a favorite!
Eurodam Room Service Breakfast Menu
For those looking to just enjoy breakfast in bed, Holland America still offers a room service breakfast menu. Simply fill out this door hanger, place it outside your room before you go to bed at night, and voila, you’ll wake up to delicious breakfast in bed.
Eurodam Tech Update: Starlink and the “Surf” Package
One exciting update for Holland America passengers: Starlink internet has arrived across the fleet! However, despite the upgrade, Internet speeds on the Eurodam haven’t quite lived up to the hype yet. Uploading a short video to TikTok took hours, and streaming content showed some lag. Video calls during the upcoming workweek might be a gamble.
Now, let’s talk value! I opted for the “Have it All” package on this cruise. For $55 per day, it’s a steal. It includes the beverage package (think 15 fancy drinks!), a shore excursion credit, specialty dining experiences, and the “surf” WiFi package (great for browsing, but does not include streaming or video calls). Since I’m working from the ship, I upgraded the WiFi for an additional $50 to allow for streaming and video chat.
Here’s a quick cost comparison: Carnival charges more for just the beverage package compared to Holland America’s “Have it All” bundle, and their WiFi is an additional expense on top of that. So far, the value with Holland America’s package is unparalleled.
Poolside Relaxation and a Smoking Update
After soaking up the sun on the Lido Deck, I treated myself to a cigar while enjoying some good old-fashioned people-watching by the pool. There were a few heart-stopping moments as some folks made a barefoot dash from the pool to the deck, narrowly avoiding a potential “slip and slide” situation.
Speaking of relaxation, here’s an important update for smokers: the Sea View pool area is the only designated smoking area on the Eurodam. Just a heads up that the casino has also gone smoke-free.
Trader Vik’s Mai Tai
History buffs take note! The Eurodam offers a cocktail that seems to pay homage to the iconic Trader Vic’s Mai Tai, first created in 1944. While there’s an intentional misspelling (“Vik’s vs “Vic’s”), the core ingredients are close: Appleton aged rum, orange curaçao, fresh lime juice, and orgeat. This suggests a twist on the classic recipe.
Yesterday’s Muster Drill Explained
Following up on yesterday’s report about the old-school muster drill, a bit of a mystery has been solved! Remember how I mentioned the surprise return of the in-person muster drill, a relic of the pre-COVID era? Well, thanks to the Captain’s midday announcement, it all makes sense now. Apparently, these full muster drills are still required periodically as part of crew training for emergency procedures and crowd control. So, while it was a bit of a throwback, there’s a practical reason behind it!
Main Dining Room Lunch Menu
It’s lunchtime, and here’s a look at what’s being served today in the Main Dining Room on the Eurodam.
Lido Market Lunch Menu
Up on the lido, here’s what is available on the buffet at the Lido Market at lunchtime.
Burgers, Dogs, and Fries!
And if you just want a burger or a hot dog, the Dive In has you covered. There’s also pizza by the slice or pie at New York Pizza.
Bahama Mama Time!
Ah, time to escape the heat with a Bahama Mama! A tropical concoction with Flor de Caña rum, Malibu rum, orange juice, pineapple juice, and a touch of grenadine is the perfect way to cool down on a sea day. Just a heads up though, that combination does pack a punch!
St. Patrick’s Day Green Beer!
Since it’s St. Patrick’s Day, I was expecting green beer to be served. However, it seems they “forgot” about it! After a little prodding and someone going out and finding some green food coloring in the galley, I got my green beer!
New York Pizza
Located out at the Sea View Pool is a walk-up pizza window – New York Pizza. They offer pizza by the slice, which is a flatbread-style pizza, whole 9″ round pies that you can customize or pick from a menu, pre-made salads, and desserts.
I got a slice of plain cheese pizza, which would make a New Yorker cry. It wasn’t the worst pizza in the world, and it certainly wasn’t the best, but it fit the bill. Having had the round pizza on the Rotterdam a few months ago, I can safely say there is no comparison between the two pizzas offered, with the round pie being much better – but still nothing like a New York slice.
St. Patrick’s Day Bar Crawl
Holland America’s got their usual Orange Party bar crawl going on later in the cruise, but there’s also a special St. Patrick’s Day one – guess they’re really feeling the luck of the Irish! The price is right at $35 for four drinks, and I even managed to get some whiskey options on the menu.
I signed up, but now I’m facing a bit of a scheduling clash. The bar crawl starts at 8:30pm, which is usually my dinner time. The 7:30pm show I want to see lets out at 8:15pm, so things might be tight. With 32 people already signed up, it sounds like it’s going to be a fun crowd. Dinner or drinks? Decisions, decisions… guess I’ll have to see if I can pull off a late-night combo of show, dinner, and some St. Paddy’s Day revelry!
Main Dining Room Dinner Menu
Tonight’s turning into a bit of a scheduling puzzle! Still haven’t nailed down a dinner spot, but the main dining room menu for this special “Elegant Night” is seriously tempting. It’s a celebration of Holland America’s 150-year history, featuring some of their all-time favorite dishes.
Lido Market Dinner Menu
For those looking for a little more casual dinner, the Lido Market buffet is featuring this menu tonight.
Main Dining Room Dinner
I decided on dinner in the main dining room, specifically to try the 150th anniversary menu I mentioned earlier. Here’s the funny part: despite the special menu, my server kept pushing the up-sell items!
Speaking of unexpected twists, guess where they sat me? A table for six!
Started off with the duckling, which had a nice smoked flavor, served chilled, and was an excellent way to begin the meal.
Rack of lamb was my chosen entrée tonight. While I wasn’t asked what temperature I wanted it prepared, it came out medium rare.
The lamb chops were single cut, so a tad small. Flavor wise, they were average. I definitely have had better… including the lamb chops which have now returned to your local Longhorn Steakhouse (for a limited time). The lamb was served with veggies, duchess potatoes, and I asked for some ratatouille, which was being served as a side with another entrée.
When on a Dutch ship, how can you not have some Dutch Apple Pie for dessert? It’s hard to imagine that a piece of apple pie could be the standout part of the meal, but here I am saying, “it was!”
Overall, my server was not overly friendly. I kind of felt like he was ready to call it a night two hours ago and he was just “over” his day. I was a tad disappointed with the upselling of the speciality items on the menu considering tonight’s menu was a unique one. Service was just “meh.” While I wasn’t particularly rushed through dinner, the whole event had a strange vibe to it that’s hard to describe.
Evening Activities
Tonight’s entertainment was a mixed bag! The World Stage (main theatre) featured the Island Magic Steel Band. This band is a family affair, with different members performing on the Rotterdam and Eurodam. Since I’d already seen them before, their Broadway and Classics show (heavy on Andrew Lloyd Webber tunes) wasn’t quite as surprising this time around. Still, it’s impressive how they create such beautiful music from instruments made from old oil drums!
For a different vibe, I checked out Billboard Onboard where the piano duo kept the crowd entertained. Meanwhile, the Rolling Stone Lounge was rocking with classic hits, transitioning into disco later in the night.
Man, after a long day at sea – and St. Paddy’s Day on top of that – I’m beat!
Just took a walk around the ship and saw most of the bars are calling it a night at 11pm, except for the Sea View Bar which hangs on until midnight. Luckily, the Lido buffet still has some late-night eats going on – sandwiches, meatballs, chicken, fries, pasta, the whole shebang – until 11:30pm. Same goes for pizza.
It was a fun night with a little extra St. Patty’s Day buzz, but everything winds down after 11pm. Time to turn in! Tomorrow’s another sea day before we hit our first port, St. Maarten, on Tuesday!
Thanks for joining the adventure!